Collins files for mayor; Schreck, Smith join Evenson in council race

Benson City Council Member Teri Collins, who is currently in the second year of her first four-year council term, has filed for mayor.
Mark Schreck, Larry Smith and incumbent Jack Evenson have filed for the two open seats on the council. Evenson is completing his fourth year on the council and is seeking re-election to a second term.
Not seeking re-election to the council are Mayor Gary Landmark and Council Member Stephanie Heinzig.  Filings opened Aug. 1 and remain open until Tuesday, Aug. 15, at 5 p.m.
If Collins is elected mayor, she will continue to serve in her city council seat until Jan. 2 when she is sworn in as mayor. At that point, there would be a vacancy on the council. The city council would then decide whether to conduct a special election to fill the seat or it could appoint someone to fill the remaining two years.
If Collins loses the mayoral election, she would continue to serve as a member of the council for the remaining two years in her term.
The fifth member of the council is Lucas Olson who won his seat in a special election Jan. 10 to complete the three years left in Jonathon Pogge-Weaver’s term. Pogge-Weaver had been elected to a four-year term on the council in November 2015, but resigned his seat in October 2016 when his family moved to Carroll, Iowa.
In a very low turnout election, Olson received 95 votes beating out three challengers. Brad Johnson received 47 votes, Mike Fugleberg 42 and Smith 37.
Schreck is the owner of Benson Body. He served 10 years as the Benson’s fire chief before stepping down from the position earlier this year. He continues on the fire department where he is in his 36th year. He joined the department in January 1981.
Smith, a local businessman, has made unsuccessful runs for both the city council and the District 777 Board of Education in the past couple years.
Benson’s City Council meets the first and third Monday of the month with meetings generally lasting between a half hour and one-and-a-half hours. Members of the council also serve on advisory boards and commissions that include the Housing and Redevelopment Authority, the Economic Development Authority, the Swift County-Benson Health Services governing board, the Park Board, Planning Commission, Cemetery Board and Airport Commission.
 
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